seacliff

Marianne’s Ice Cream is a Santa Cruz institution, having been a family run business with a single location for over 50 years. In 2014, Marianne’s had the good taste to open their second location in Aptos, in the Seacliff neighborhood, just outside of Seacliff Beach. Marianne’s Ice Cream in Aptos is yet another welcome addition to the Aptos experience.

Tip: They also offer coffee and espresso, and they’ll offer a variety of beach-type items also for sale.

Aptos has a reputation for being a foggy place. Blame it on the Monterey Bay, which has the second deepest ocean canyon in the world, with lots of super cold water that generates when it’s hot inland. I personally think it’s somewhat blown out of proportion – yes, we have a lot of foggy mornings, and the fog can roll back in around 3 or 4 o’clock if you’re right down there by the beach. But it’s not usually foggy all day, and of course, the further from the beach you go, the less fog you’ll find.

And then there are days like Memorial Day 2014, when there’s not a wisp of fog to be seen, even at 9:00 AM, when my wife and I took a walk down Seacliff Beach. I’ve been trying to get in my 10,000 steps a day – it’s all the rage these days – and it seemed like the perfect morning for a walk along the sand. We started out at the parking lot at Rio del Mar beach – which was already full – and ended down at the Seacliff Memorial Wall, an Aptos Gem.

Seacliff Memory Wall

Seacliff Memory Wall

Seacliff State Beach

Seacliff State Beach Visitor’s Center

Santa Cruz Lifeguards Weather and Ocean Report

Seacliff State Beach

Pier Fishing at Seacliff State Beach

Birds rest on the SS Palo Alto

The Beach Shack snack shop at Seacliff State Beach

BBQ and Picnic at Seacliff State Beach

It was a gorgeous, sun-drenched day. The picnic tables which line the beach were already full, and the BBQ grills were already going. The RV campground was full, too, and lots of folks were sitting out in front of their RVs, chatting with one another and watching the sunbeams play on the waves. The lifeguard tower on the pier declared the climate that day as being “sunny/nice” with air temperature between 60 and 75 degrees. The pier was loaded with fisherman, dozens of them angling to catch something, but probably not caring too much if they ended up empty-handed. The SS Palo Alto was loaded with seagulls and other birds, who have painted the deck white with their guano.

It seemed like everyone and everything was out at Seacliff Beach for Memorial Day. We’re so lucky that all of this is just a five minute drive from our doorstep. I love Aptos!

The Aptos real estate market is alive and well in May 2014! In April 2014, the median home price in Aptos was $715,671 – up 11% compared to a year ago, when the median price was $645,000. 34 homes closed escrow in April, which is almost the same as a year ago, when 33 homes closed sale in April 2013. These homes sold in an average of 56 days, which is about higher than March of last year, when homes sold on average in 50 days. Not only did these homes sell quickly, they also sold, on average, for 100.06% of full asking price. Sweet!

As of today there are 114 homes presently listed, and of those, 72 are available, 42 under contract. Given the ratio of active listings to pending sales, and assuming an average escrow length of 45 days, the amount of available inventory is about 77 days.

When it comes to condominiums and townhouses, there were a total of 15 sold in Aptos in April, with a median price of $620,000 – a rise of 7.8% over last year. These condos had an average of 71 days on market, with a sales-to-list-price ratio of 98.84%. This compares to 7 sales in March 2013, a year ago, when the median price was $575,000, the sales-to-list-price ratio was 96.4%, and the average days on market was 57.

As of today, there are 40 condos/townhouses listed, 31 are active, and 9 are under contract. Given the ratio of active listings to pending sales, and assuming an average escrow length of 45 days, the amount of available inventory is about 155 days. 40% of the available units (16 of the 40), however, are in the Seascape Resort, which is almost a market in itself.

What’s YOUR Aptos House Value?

Interested to know what your Aptos house is worth in todays’ real estate market? Then head over to AptosHomeValues.com for an instant, on-line evaluation of your Aptos home’s value.

What Your Money Buys You – Houses

While the median price for homes in Aptos in April 2014 was $715,671, the least expensive home went for $120K and the most expensive went for $4.5 million. Here’s what that kind of money buys you in Aptos today:

What Your Money Buys You – Condos

While the median price for condos in Aptos in April 2014 was $620,000, the least expensive home went for $355K and the most expensive went for $765,000. Here’s what that kind of money buys you in Aptos today:

The Aptos real estate market is alive and well in April 2014! In March 2014, the median home price in Aptos was $693,000 – up 6.5% compared to a year ago, when the median price was $652,250. 19 homes closed escrow in March, but that’s 20.8% fewer than a year ago, when 24 homes closed sale in March 2013. These homes sold in an average of 81 days, which is about the same as last March, when homes sold in 85 days on average.

As of today there are 110 homes presently listed, and of those, 67 are available, 43 under contract. Given the ratio of active listings to pending sales, and assuming an average escrow length of 45 days, the amount of available inventory is about 70 days.

When it comes to condominiums and townhouses, there were a total of 5 sold in Aptos in March, with a median price of $440,000 – a rise of 1.15% over last year. These condos had an average of 71 days on market, with a sales-to-list-price ratio of 98.84%. This compares to 9 sales in March 2013, a year ago, when the median price was $435,000, the sales-to-list-price ratio was 98.95%, and the average days on market was 66.

As of today, there are 40 condos/townhouses listed, 23 are active, and 27 are under contract. Given the ratio of active listings to pending sales, and assuming an average escrow length of 45 days, the amount of available inventory is about 38 days. Most of the available units, however, are in the Seascape Resort, which is almost a market in itself.

What’s YOUR Aptos House Value?

Interested to know what your Aptos house is worth in todays’ real estate market? Then head over to AptosHomeValues.com for an instant, on-line evaluation of your Aptos home’s value.

What Your Money Buys You – Houses

While the median price for homes in Aptos in March 2014 was $693,000, the least expensive home went for $407K and the most expensive went for $1.185 million. Here’s what that kind of money buys you in Aptos today:

230 Via Novella sold for $1,185,000 after 66 days on market7049 Mesa Drive sold for $693,000 after 53 Days on Market506 Encino Drive sold for $407,000 after 120 Days on Market

What Your Money Buys You – Condos

While the median price for condos in Aptos in March 2014 was $440,000, the least expensive home went for $415K and the most expensive went for $659,500. Here’s what that kind of money buys you in Aptos today:

119 Fife Lane Sold for $659,500 after 92 Days on Market2621 Willowbrooke Lane ,#106 sold for $440K after 7 Days on Market312 Seascape Resort Drive sold for $415K after 235 Days on Market

Seacliff Beach made front page news on the Santa Cruz Sentinel today, with a piece featuring a virtual classroom which is beamed to thousands of California students in grades K through 12 throughout the state. Local Aptos resident Vonnie Lemke was featured in the article, who is an interpreter for the Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students Program (PORTS). The PORTS program is a distance learning educational program run by the State of California, but the program is funded by grants and contributions from the nonprofit Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks. Last week, the Seacliff program was one of six programs in the state honored with the Excellence in Museum award.

Is Aptos ever more beautiful than in the springtime? Well, yes – it’s more beautiful in autumn usually, but it’s pretty nice in the springtime, especially just after a little RAIN! But we’re not here to talk about the exquisite Aptos weather so much as about the Aptos real estate market. To get things rolling, here is a quick YouTube video with the market highlights and some insight:

March 2014 Aptos Real Estate Market Summary

In February 2014, 20 single-family homes closed escrow in Aptos with a median price of $685,000. This is a decrease of 4.5% compared to February 2013 when the median price was $717,000. On average, the homes which sold did so in 70 days, and the average sales price was $710,875.

As of today, March 7 2014, there are presently 62 single-family homes ‘active’ on the Aptos MLS; over the past six months, an average of 19.3 homes has sold every month, meaning there is a 3.2 month supply of homes available in Aptos. Of these ‘active’ homes, they have an average of 119 days on market. There are presently 38 homes under contract in Aptos, and these homes have an average of 87 days on market.

Looking at the numbers, the Aptos market appears to be in good shape. Interestingly enough, Zillow classifies Aptos as a buyer’s market, as it does not simply count the available inventory, but rather takes into account the sales-to-list-price ratio, prevalence of price cuts, and time on market. Even so, Zillow expects the Aptos market to appreciate 2.4% through January 2015, and classifies the Aptos real estate market as very healthy which is an accurate characterization at this time.

What Your Money Buys You

While the median price for homes in Aptos in February 2014 was $685,000, the least expensive home went for $450K and the most expensive went for $1.1 million. Here’s what that kind of money buys you in Aptos today:

The Mediterranean Bar in Aptos has been serving patrons for over 40 years, and for much of that time, it had a well-deserved reputation as a dive bar. The bar got new ownership in 2012, and since that time, the place has moved a little upscale, right along with the rest of Seacliff.

The “new” Mediteranean has been upgraded and remodeled, with five LCD flat screens complete with the NFL football package. They also feature a pool table, darts, and Internet jukebox, and you can play Kinect sports there for free. They have a decent selection of imported and draft beers, and a number of wines by the glass.

Great news ice cream lovers! Marianne’s Ice Cream is opening its 2nd location…in Aptos! Marianne’s is legendary among local (and not-so-local) ice cream aficionados. It’s been in operation since 1958 at a single location on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz. And now, Marianne’s has the good taste to be opening a second location, after over half a century, in the Seacliff neighborhood of Aptos.

The new Marianne’s location is going in at the corner of State Park Drive and Center Avenue, across from the Snow White Drive-In and Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant…and just down the street a ways from Pizza-1. And, of course, it is also located directly across from the entrance to Seacliff State Beach.

The new operation should be up and running in the next couple of months, just in time for the warmer weather. Stay tuned!

Severino’s Bar and Grill is a fixture on the Aptos bar-and-grill scene – of course, there are very few bar-and-grill type places in Aptos they have to share the limelight with. Severino’s is part of the Best Western Seacliff Inn, and given that, patrons shouldn’t expect too many surprises when it comes to the food or drink. This is not a rowdy place; the crowd tends to be on the mature side.

They do offer affordable nightly dinner specials, and a prime rib special on Sundays and Mondays – but come early, as they have been known to run out. They also usually have live music on the weekends, and often have a Jazz band on Thursdays. Happy Hour is every day from 3 to 6 PM, and on Sunday and Monday from 3 to 9 PM and features $3 well drinks and premium draft beers, and $6 appetizers.

With its sublime climate and long stretches of beaches, Aptos has long been a draw for out-of-towners. When it comes to local accommodation, the Best Western Seacliff Inn is the largest hotel in the Aptos area. It offers free breakfasts for guests, as well as free WiFi. It also has a nicely landscaped center courtyard with a Koi pond, and features a heated swimming pool. Guests often complain about “paper thin” walls in the rooms, which can be a problem given the location next to the freeway and sometimes other guests can of course get rowdy – so man of them are, after all, on vacation.